Key retainer



Feb. 18, 1941. y R. M. scHureAcl-l 2,232,668

` KEY RETAINER Filed Aug. 2o, 1940 INVEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 18, 1941 i PATENT oFF-ICE KEY RETAINER Rene M. Schupbach, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Freeman-Daughaday Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 20, 1940, Serial No. 353,339

Claims.

This invention relates to a key retainer of the type usually carried by men either loose in the pocket or on the end of a chain; and has for one of its objects to provide a retainer in which the 5 keys may be divided so as to assist in their identification or easy access.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key retainer upon which the keys may be easily and quickly positioned or removed from such position and yet when positioned securely retained in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retainer which will be ornamental and thus attractive in its appearance for sale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retainer which will be exceedingly simple in its construction and one in which no soldering of the parts is necessary that skilled labor may be reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more full'y described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the key retainer with two keys in position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the closure member in section;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge view showing the relative movement of the closure member and the arcuate member;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the closure member;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another part of the closure member; and

Fig. 7 is a section on line-1 1 of Fig. 2 illustrating the manner of retaining the two relatively movable parts in clasped position.

Key retainers of the type carried by men either loose in the pocket or on the end of a chain are of various kinds and shapes and seek to accomplish different functional purposes; and while I attain some of the functional purposes strived at in other key retainers, I do so by a'different means and a different system of operation which lends for simplicity and inexpensive manufacture, yet attaining the desired results of ease and quickness in positioning keys on the retainer and security of keys while in position, while also attaining some additional advantages such as division of keys in the manner hereinafter set forth which has not heretofore been accomplished; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, I0 designates a wire of resilient character and preferably, although not necessarily, circular in cross section` bent into the generally arcuate form illustrated in Figs. l and 2. The end portions of the wire are bent inwardly to provide fingers II extending in generally parallel relation for the portion of their inwardly directed extent. These fingers are lo- 10 cated diametrically opposite a straight portion I2 of the wire which provides a support about which the closure member may be pivotally mounted to be swung. This wire possesses a required resiliency so that the same when its end portions II 15 are spread apart will move back into predetermined position again or tend to so move so as to grip any part which is located between the fingers.

One part of the closure member is shown per- 20 haps best in Fig. 5 in perspective and is designated generally I4; it consists of a strip of sheet stock folded as at I5 to provide spaced arms I6, while the free ends of these arms are bent into semicylindrical formation as at I'I and provided with 25 lateral wings to embrace the straight support portion I2 and be pivotally mounted thereon. These cylindrical portions I'I are held so that their edges I8 abut and provide an inner diameter of suflicient extent so as to closely embrace and frictionally fit upon the support I2, although allowing a pivotal movement with reference thereto. 'Ihis relationship upon the support I2 is maintained by a clamp designated generally I 9 consisting of a strap folded as at 20 with arms 2I extending along the outer 35 surface of the closure member as shown in Fig. 3 with the lugs 22 folded inwardly about each arm I6 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 so as to bind the closure member in the relationship shown in Fig. 3. This Cea strap in addition to holding the ends of the closure 40 member together also provides a loop 24 for receiving a ring 25 to which a chain 26 may be attached for securing the retainer to the belt or other portion of the clothing of the wearer.

At the end of the closure where the bend I5 45 occurs, the width of the arms I6 is reduced as at 21 so that this Width will be slightly greater than the normal width of the space between the fingers II. Thus, when the closure member is swung to the closed position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 50 and 3, the round wire will serve as a wedge that it may be forced apart by the part 21 of the arms until'one of the sheet metal arms passes part of the greatest diameter of *the parallel fingers I I, and then these fingers will again spring toward 55 each other due to the resiliency of the member l so as to lodge between the arms at 21 as shown in Fig. 7 and thus hold the closure member firmly in its position as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 to lock any keys which may have been positioned along ngers ll and moved along the arc of Fig. 10 against removal.

I provide two portions of a key retainer so that a key may be positioned either on one portion, as is the key 3E), or on the other portion, as the key 3 I, By having two separate portions each independent and completely separate from the other, I may arrange certain keys on one portion and other keys on other portions; or I may arrange one cr two keys on one portion and all the other keys in the other portion, thus to assist in the selection of keys for use.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible.

I claim:

1. A key retainer comprising a resilient arcuate member having spaced end portions, and a closure member hing-edly mounted on said arcuate member at a location opposite said spaced end portions and swingable between and into engagement with said end portions to move said end portions apart as swung into closed position.

2. A key retainer comprising a resilient arcuate member having spaced parallel extending end portions, and a closure member hingedly mounted on said arcuate member at a location opposite said spaced end portions and swingable between and into engagement with said end portions to move said end portions apart as swung into closed position and be bound from accidental movement by the inherent spring of the stock of said end portions.

3. A key retainer comprising a resilient arcuate member having spaced inwardly directed paralleI extending end portions, and a closure member hingedly mounted on said arcuate member at a location opposite said spaced end portions and swingable between and into engagement with said end. portions to move said end portions apart as swung into closed position and be bound by the inherent spring of the stock of said end portions.

4. A key retainer comprising a resilient arcuate member having spaced end portions, and a sheet metal closure member providing spaced arms hingedly mounted on said arcuate member at a location opposite said spaced end portions and having an end of a width greater than said portion to be swingable to position the end portions of said member between said spaced arms by resiliently moving said end portions apart.

5. A key retainer comprising a resilient arcuate member having spaced parallel extending end portions, a sheet metal closure member folded upon itself to provide spaced arms with portions of said arms embracing said member to pivotally mount the same `thereon at a location diametrically opposite said spaced ngers, said closure member being swingable to a position between said parallel ngers and of a width greater than the space between said ngers to resiliently urge said fingers apart and cause them to lodge between the arms of said closure member when the member is moved tc closed position.

RENE M. SCHUPBACH. 

